A simple question - what is it about Eb

[Rhodes69]

Hi All,

I'm a starting out eupher. Been playing for about six weeks after my lengthy amateur piano career was ended by an arthritic pinky that started to really hurt where the bone is crunching on bone. I've been fortunate enough to have a good ear and a superb teacher so things are coming along nicely.

There is one note - Eb below middle C that is "ineffable". It is everything I ever wanted to hear in an Eb. The frequency of that note hits me in my bones and runs through me like a sounding bell. It's just "right". I hear it at work sometimes when I'm not thinking about it and it shakes me. I've tried having my piano tuned accordingly and while it shows exactly the same pitch in cycle it is just not the same thing.

Am I losing my mind? What on earth is going on with Eb on my Yamaha 642? Pianos don't do this!

Any ideas?

Colin.

[fairweathertuba]

Does it have the ineffable effect when someone else plays it, or only when you play it?

[fairweathertuba]

Yes, sadly there is nothing guru-esque or magical going on, it's just physics and human perception. It seems a lot of tuba players can get a nice visual illusion going by looking at an old CRT telly or computer screen and playing or buzzing a low C or B natural, whilst doing this the screen seems to wobble or wave quite nicely.

It might be that the sensations associated with the note will become less noticeable after playing for a while, in a few months or years perhaps.

[iiipopes]

Everything has a resonant frequency. Everything. You found yours. Enjoy!

[pjv]

You've probably heard about the G-spot and the A-spot?

Well, you just discovered the Eb-spot.

[TubaRay]

I have no particular explanation for what you are experiencing. But, welcome to TubeNet, anyway.

[Walter Webb]

Mr. Bobo has a page where he asserts that Eb is a great choice for the young tubist because BBb and CC are too cumbersome, but it has enough of the low notes (even tho B, Bb and A below the staff almost always suck on Eefers) to function in the "money range" yet it can sing like an F tuba way up there. Well, he didn't say all that, but that's what I think. I have temporarily quit my Kanstul 66S Eb to play an Alex 163 BBb in community band because it naturally plays the contrabass with ease and volume that the Eefer cannot.
http://www.rogerbobo.com/musical_articles/eb.shtml" target="_blank

[Rhodes69]

Wow - my Eb spot. It does feel pretty good, but perhaps not that good! I certainly could sit there for half an hour and just play that one note. It's really something. It reminds me of a soft sunday afternoon sitting listening to Ralph Vaughan Williams with a cup of tea.

Think I'm going to have my teacher play some Eb's and just sit and do the zen thing. That should pretty quickly separate out if it's me or the world around me ...

Thanks for the ideas!

[Bob Kolada]

Not as strong, but D below the staff has always been a powerful, interesting note to me.

[duderubble]

^ What a lovely analogy.

Anyway, tried it, doesn't do anything for me. Bb below middle C however... I think different instruments have different notes that resonate really well in them, especially when you're holding them.

[Tom Coffey]

I had an old baritone that was ineffable. All the other notes were fine, but no f.